[Sponsored] Exploring “Shared Visions”: Aj Smith and Marjorie Williams-Smith at the Michelson Museum of Art in Marshall, Texas

The Michelson Museum of Art Sometimes we imagine exhibitions as mere collections of art, quietly occupying galleries and offering a brief escape from reality. But for those who delve deeper, exhibitions can reveal personal and universal narratives and emotional touchpoints. The Michelson Museum of Art’s latest show, Shared Visions, featuring works by Aj Smith and Marjorie Williams-Smith, is one such exhibition. The artists, through intricately detailed, hyperrealistic drawings — composed using various combinations of graphite, silverpoint, copperpoint, aluminumpoint, and goldpoint — draw viewers into a rich tapestry of creativity and life experiences, telling their own and others’ narratives with a quiet but serious intensity.

Smith and Williams-Smith’s artistic journeys, which began in 1978, are rooted in their shared passion for drawing. Despite subtle differences in their work, they both maintain a deep reverence for the directness of the medium’s ability to render specific details of their subjects. Both artists earned their MFAs in New York — Smith from Queens College, City University of New York and Williams-Smith from Pratt — before returning to the South to develop their careers and shape the minds of other aspiring artists. Through their long tenure, they have left (and are continuing to leave) an indelible mark on the region’s artistic landscape.

Smith’s work is grounded in the landscapes and communities of the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta regions. His graphite pencil drawings capture the quiet dignity and resilience of local community members, revealing the personalities of his subjects. Each meticulously crafted piece is imbued with introspection and empathy, drawing the viewer into the lives of those depicted.

Williams-Smith started drawing dried roses as a way to preserve the flowers given to her by family and friends. Over time, she began to see the beauty in their forms — their rich tonal qualities, textured surfaces, and shifting colors. These drawings took on metaphorical significance for her, representing faith, spiritual beliefs, and a quest for inner peace. Her work invites viewers to uncover the layers of strength and conviction beneath delicate exteriors, which ultimately showcases her mastery of her chosen mediums. Since 1985, she has primarily worked in silverpoint, which involves drawing with silver wire contained in stylus on a surface prepared with a ground of gesso. The thin lines created by the silver can produce incredibly detailed work, with shadows built up through hatched and crosshatched lines. As the silver tarnishes over time, the drawings’ tonal qualities change, becoming warmer and darker.

Williams-Smith uses silverpoint on black grounds to create a striking contrast that makes the silver appear luminescent. Her work CONCENTRATION/REVERBERATION (2021) employs silverpoint, copperpoint, and goldpoint together, using each of the metals for a different hue, with the copper providing a vivid red for the petals. 

Shared Visions is more than an exhibition; it’s a celebration of years of artistic camaraderie and shared passion, which shows that two artists who continuously work side-by-side can develop a rhythm that allows each of them to inspire the other and build upon an ongoing aesthetic dialog. The show invites viewers to explore the intricate tapestry of Smith and Williams-Smith’s artistic journeys of creating works that offer profound explorations of the human spirit. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience this show, where art delves into the heart of human experience.

 

Shared Visions is on view at the Michelson Museum of Art (216 North Bolivar Street, Marshall, Texas) from May 9 through August 3, 2024. Admission is free. For more information, visit michelsonmuseum.org or call (903) 935-9480.